Rail-joint.



P. IVIcINTOSH.

RAIL J0lNT. I APPLICATION HLED MAR-13.19M- Y Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES P. McINTOSH.

BAIL JOINT.

I APPLICAIION FILED MAR. 13, 19!?- Patented Aug. 21, 1917. 4

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' i l 12 t' 13 Z 5 V 1 WITNESSES w E INVENTOR Beterfl lntash ATTORNEY tiniTnn STATES PATENT ornion.

PETER McINTOSI-I, 0F KEREM-EOS, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed March 13, 1917.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER MoIN'rosH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Keremeos, in the Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends improvements in rail joints and has for one of its objects, the provision of a rail joint wherein the maximum degree of vertical and lateral strength is secured with a minimum amount of metal.

Another and more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a rail joint wherein the base flange ends of the rails adjacent their abutting ends are reduced in width to accommodate depending lips or flanges on splice bars secured to opposite sides of the rails, said depending lips being disposed substantially in line with the greatest vertical strain.

The invention also aims to generally improve rail joints to render them stronger, more practical and more reliable.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the abutting ends of a pair of rails secured by my improved splice bars.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the splice bars.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing one end of a rail formed in accordance with my invention. I

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the joint.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the end of the joint on the plane of line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the plane of line 66 of Fig. 4;, and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings by nu- Inerals, 1 and 2 designate rails supported adjacent their meeting ends on the spaced ties 3 and having their base flanges 4 of a reduced width adjacent their ends providing the rearwardly and outwardly inclined faces Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 154,539.

5. The cut away portions extend inwardly almost to the webs 6 of the rails as clearly shown. Referring to Fig. l, it will be seen that the cut away portions of the rail flanges form lateral recesses having walls diverging1 outwardly from the meeting ends of the rai s.

To join the rails at their meeting ends, I provide a pair of splice bars 7 each of which is formed with. a vertical web 8, a base 9 and a depending lip 10. The webs 8 fit snugly against the flanges of the rails and bear along their upper edges against the under side of the rail heads 11. The base 9 of each of the splice bars lies in contact with the rail flanges 4 on one side of the rail and is projected laterally as indicated by the numeral 12 beyond the edges of the flanges in the same horizontal plane therewith. The shoulders 13 engage squarely against the side edges of the flanges at their uncut-away portions.

The lip 10 on each splice bar is formed centrally of the bar, extends downwardly below the base of the rails and is accommodated in the cut away portions of the base flanges of the rails. The inner side of the lip diverges outwardly from its vertical center and lies squarely against the inclined face 5 of the rail flanges 4. This lip at its central point is disposed substantially under the overhanging sides of the heads of the rails adjacent their meeting ends and is in line with the greatest vertical strain to strengthen the joint at its point. When ballast is packed around the depending lips they not only serve to support the vertical strain on the joint but also will relieve the lateral strain and prevent any sidewise movement of the rails. The splice bars may be secured to the rails by a plurality of bolts in the usual manner.

If desired, one or more tie bolts 15 ma be extended through the lips under the rai s to prevent any possibility of the splice bars spreading and to form a tighter joint. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 7.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a rail joint having maximum strength to resist vertical and lateral strains, said joint being of simple construction and formed with the minimum amount of metal. The cutting away of the base flanges of the rails, as I have done, weakens the joint in no way and Patented Aug. 21, 1917..

the employment of the depending lips provides reinforcement where most needed.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be clearly understood that I do not wish to be limited to this construction, but may make such changes as will fall withinthe scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a pair of rails having their base flanges at their meeting ends reduced in width, of a pair of splice bars secured to opposite sides of the rails at their meeting ends, said splice bars being formed with depending lips projecting below the base flanges of the rails and being accommodated in the recesses formed by the cut away portions of said flanges.

2. In combination with a pair of rails having their base flanges adjacent their abutting ends reduced in width providing lateral recesses with walls diverging outwardly away from the meeting point of the rails, of a pair of splice bars secured to opposite sides of the rails, a depending lip formed on each splice bar and projecting below the base of the rails through the recesses formed by reducing the baseflanges of the rails, said lip lying snugly against the sides of said recesses.

3. In combination with a pair of rails having their base flanges adjacent the abutting ends of the rails reduced in width forming lateral recesses, the side walls of said recesses being inclined outwardly away from the meeting ends of the rails, of a pair of splice bars secured to opposite sides of the rails and formed centrally of the ends with depending lips extending downwardly below the base of the rails through the recesses formed n the flanges thereof, said lips lying nugly against the walls of said recesses, and a tie bolt connecting the lips below the base of the rails.

4:. In combination with a pair of rails having their base flanges at their meeting ends reduced in width, a splice bar secured to the sides of the rails at their meeting ends, said splice bar being formed with depending means projecting below the base flanges of the rails and being accommodated in the recess formed by the cut away portions of said flanges. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PETER McINTOSH.

\ Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the fGommissioner of Patents,

Washington, 13.0. 

